August 29, 2013

What an amazing year so far. I've been so busy I barely get to blog anymore - that and we're working on a big blog change so I've been saving a lot of content until we relaunch (exciting stuff and more frequent content - promise!!)

This summer has been nuts - between Open Runway, the Two Point Oh! LA Picnic, Two Point Oh! PLUS tours to New Orleans and San Francisco, a trip back to England and over to Rome and of course MAGIC. The Stylesmith team has been non stop.

So, as a treat after MAGIC I took some of the team (sadly dear Gabby was migraine-ified and couldn't come) and Jazmine - our favorite English blogger who extended her Las Vegas trip to spend a few days in Los Angeles to Disneyland.

Aside from my first ever visit with my baby sister when I was 22, this was the best Disneyland trip ever. I had so much fun, and finally managed to stay long enough to watch the fireworks (thanks to a strategic stop at Trader Sams!)

This Odylyne dress was the perfect outfit to wear to The Vatican. I thought it highly appropriate, especially paired with my Odylyne bolero/shawl type thingy (<<< clearly down with my fashion lingo).

Whilst I was appropriately dressed. No one else seemed to give a flying snicker doodle about the dress code. I spotted shorts, mini skirts, wife beaters and crop tops. I heard the new Pope was progressive, but this was beyond. I guess I didn't need to worry so much about whether my dress was too sheer...

It was actually my fourth visit to the Vatican and third viewing of the Sistine Chapel, and it was Mr Style's first. Sadly for him it was ruined by what felt like a conveyor belt of tourists and tour groups. We walked through the museums zombi-fied, at a snails pace but in a crowd so thick we couldn't even see anything. My last visit, ten years ago was much more peaceful. Time to ban tour groups me thinks.

That said - if you still want to visit the Vatican (and really, if you're headed to Rome, you probably should), here are my top tips:

Buy tickets in advance. There's absolutely no reason to wait in line. There are plenty of lines inside.

Morning visits, or the last visit of the day are less hectic. Unless you go in June. And then it's always chaos.

Apparently don't worry too much about the dress code but for traditions sake at least cover your knees and bring a shawl in case enforcement is entirely arbritrary.

Left: Really not kidding. Right: Views from the Vatican.

4. Don't go expecting serenity. The most peaceful spot in the Vatican is cafeteria. I'm not kidding.

5. It's really hard to avoid the tour groups. So find an English speaking one and do a ride along.

6. Avoid the people outside the Vatican and in Piazza San Pietro trying to sell you a tour (they'll try and catch you by asking if you speak English and 100 of them will ask you. If you do want a tour you can get an official one and buy a ticket in advance on the Vatican Website - this is also a good way of skipping the Basilica San Pietro heinous lines. There are also audio guides available for rent for 7 Euros.

7. Don't skip the Borghese apartments or the Modern Art Collection. This is the most interesting part of the Vatican and so many tourists skipped over it to do the "short itinerary" and head straight to the Sistine chapel. Well guess what, you're going to be standing in line for as long as you'd be walking through the rest of the museum, and if you walk through the rest of the museum you get to head straight into the Sistine Chapel.

8. Yes the small dark room you're in is the Sistine Chapel, don't forget to look up.

Put your iPhone's in the airrr, if you just don't care (about preserving the sanctity of one of the worlds most renowned and holiest museums) - photos courtesy of iPhone.

9. No talking. No photography. As they'll loudly remind you (this only applies to the Sistine Chapel - everywhere else get snap happy - join the throngs of iPhone clutching tourists, I dare you)

I found these statues particularly fascinating, the one on the left reminds me of the man with the bird on his head from Labyrinth and the one on the right is a statue of Luna - a Roman Goddess (or Selene if you fancy the Greek ways instead). A little out of place amidst the fig leaved men (see below) but quite captivating.

In
1557 Pope Paul IV instituted the practice of putting fig leaves on
statues genitalia. A campaign of "modesty" that lasted 450 years.
Perhaps there would have been a bit less "Catholic Fiddling" had the fig
leaves not been instituted... Curiosity killed the paedophile.

10. Leaving the Vatican is nearly impossible. If you need a quick exit, touch a statue.

July 25, 2013

Ok - this is me being a bad, bad blogger. Way back in February (yeah I'm not sure where this year is going either) I sent Baby Smith (aka my baby sister Josie Smith) to London Fashion Week on my behalf. Well, she saw some fab shows, wrote some amazing commentary and took some great pics. And I posted one day of her coverage.

Well since the Fall is sartorially upon us and I'm planning my trip to LFW in September, I figured it was about time I actually posted the Fall 13 collections, aka the remainder of her coverage. This is one of those cases where it's better late than never right? Oh and if you want to check out Day 1 coverage - click here.

Day Two: Orla Kiely - Words & Pictures - Josie Smith.

My big sister and founder of this here blog had given me plenty of warning of how amazing this show would be having been to last years presentation from this Irish genius.

A refreshing change to the catwalks and great use of space just off my favourite place…Tin Pan Alley, this venue had been turned into an Art Installation set in the 1960’s with the models walking in and out of the ‘office.’ This looked like a film set, so realistic, so Mad Men!

A beautiful and feminine collection of clothes. Again, I found myself falling in love with each item. So wonderful in design especially with the fabulous patterns! Clearly influenced by the 60’s, Kiely had cleverly made this collection fit into today’s fashion scene and certainly fitting in with my ideal wardrobe!

Creative clothes for creative souls created for any woman.

Day Two Continued: Dans La Vie, Fashion Scout

Front row and very excited. Not sure what to expect but wow was this is a great show. Full of vibrant patterns and striking designs.

Each one of these designs were so uniquely striking and definitely a work of Art. A clear presentation of thought ran throughout this whole show with many attentions to small details including the buckles shown on the pale pink trousers above. The contrast in colours worked so well and found this show very enjoyable.

I also got to meet a very handsome boy band…Times Red…. ;)

Day Four: Fam Irvoll - Fashion Scout

Excited to return to Fashion Scout again and wow was this a fun show. Instantly smiling as I watched the vibrant colours of these designs showcase down the runway. Accompanied with upbeat music I was definitely impressed. A daring show of colours, prints and patterns that brightened up the Fashion Scout venue.

And finally, normal size models and the audience were loved them. Each were full of confidence and happiness and they walked with so much style down the runway. I particularly loved the faces on the jumper (sweater for our US readers) teamed with plenty of bold shapes and colours.

Each one of the designs had a lot to offer and also to study. They all seemed to tell a story.I loved the creativity that had clearly gone into this show from Fam Irvoll. It had all of us smiling and tapping our feet as we witnessed a fun and vibrant display of fashion.

Over the weekend I was reunited with my love of hats and decided my head could do with some fun so donned a new hat….

Whilst in between shows I decided to take a look inside Somerset House and some the designers that had their collections on display. Having become obsessed with hats again I was very happy to meet the designer of ‘Moody and Farrell’. I loved their hats, very feminine that would make any outfit stand out in a crowd.

I fell in love with the unique shapes and colours of these hats. Thoughtfully made with so much character to each of them.

Day Five – Ekaterina Kukhareva

I am struggling to choose pictures to put on this blog as I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty and talent that had gone into these dresses. As a Jazz singer I was delighted to hear Peggy Lee’s ‘Why Don’t You Do Right’ accompany the very wonderful models down the runway!

It seemed the show displayed gorgeous dresses throughout. What an exquisite dress. I fell in love, again. Look at those colours, working so well together and looking fabulous with the floor length glorious material. Wow is the word.

This dress made my jaw drop so much. If I had the body I would’ve been tempted to run backstage and nab one. Beautiful. Striking patterns and what an awesome colour.

Another piece of beauty. An elegant and sleek design in the most classiest colours of green. Teamed with those stunning purple earrings I was definitely sold!

This collection blew me away. I loved the colours, shapes, patterns, everything just so perfect. I would love to be wearing one of these at an awards ceremony so I could show off this ridiculously stunning collection.

Last Day, Last Show – Haizhen Wang

This Chinese designer ended the London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 13 shows with confidence and great style. His clear signature of “Masculine Femininity" with architectural references was strong throughout the show.

This was my favourite of the show. I loved the colours and the femininity of the coat. The layers were gorgeous and contrasted well with the more casual jumper.

A bold and exciting show from Haizhen Wang to close out my fashion week!

*Old lady looks further confused and runs away, I lament not knowing if there's a translation for "dot com" in Italian, being that the last time I was here the Internet was for email and the only online retailers were ASOS and Amazon*

Chat with Old Lady Captured on Camera.

Yes. I finally got to return to Rome. All those pennies I threw into the Trevi Fountain, all those years ago, finally amounted to return. And this time with a husband in tow. A husband I indirectly met thanks to this beautiful city.

It was in this city that I resided for a short period of time after an across Italy work placement (teaching English) with a lovely California boy. It was thanks to love of this California boy that, whilst concurrently falling in love with Rome, I fell in love with him, and by default California. Shortly after we both left Italy and I visited him in California. Whilst our love affair was short lived - my love for California was for life, and within a year of that first visit I had packed up London life, at the ripe old age of 21 and moved to Los Angeles.

Where of course, after one year and six weeks, I met my husband, and six weeks after that, married him.

Funny old thing life eh? Returning to Italy, with the actual love of my life was a very special time - and the next few posts will document our short trip - which despite the hoards of tourists, was quite lovely.

Oh yeah. Epic love stories aside. MY HAIR HAS ALL GONE. What do you think? I love it, so much. I really thought I'd be mourning the loss of length forever - but not at all. I'm so happy with it!

Now for the old lady loved dress. It's actually a two piece (surprise!) and is part of a collaboration with Kenley Collins (the tempestuous Project Runway contestant - that was, unsurprisingly, one of my all time faves) and Unique Vintage. How fab is it? The second I saw it I knew it had to come with me to Rome so I could pretend to be an overweight Audrey Hepburn a la Roman Holiday. And so I did.

July 04, 2013

This is the last picture that exists of my hair this length. Before the big chop. My "mermaid hair". And I don't miss it at all. The cut was a much needed refresher, besides, I'm an old lady now, belly button length hair is a bit much.

But you know, neon, slogan tees and chucks, the epitome of sartorial maturity. I kid, but seriously the cutting of my hair has resulted in a youthfulness that has revitalized my face and my wardrobe - it suits me. Can't wait to show you :)

I wore this to a blogger dinner I hosted at Frida at Americana at Brand a month or so ago, where myself and my fellow bloggers mixed sangria, margaritas and conversation in a delightful trifecta. We decided that night that what happens at bloggy dinner (drinking and gossip mostly) stays at bloggy dinner. So that's about all I can divulge.